


Grinches and Ghosts

by Spazzo47



Category: The Newsroom (US TV)
Genre: Christmas, F/M, Inspired by A Christmas Carol, Season 2 compliant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-24
Updated: 2016-12-24
Packaged: 2018-09-11 18:55:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,774
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9002695
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spazzo47/pseuds/Spazzo47
Summary: A short Christmas Eve fic to celebrate the holiday.  It's Christmas 2011 and Will plays the part of office Grinch and accidentally lets Mac know that he's been dating Nina.  When he goes home on Christmas Eve he's visited by the Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, Present and Future.  Will they convince Will who he should spend the holiday with?





	

Mac walked past Will’s office and saw him in an intense conversation with Charlie. Mac felt relieved for a second since someone else got to deal with Will’s ire this time. However, she realized that she should probably stick her head in and take care of whatever bug crawled up his ass. 

“I have two grandsons who want to see where Santa is.”

Will looked exasperated, “Santa isn’t real! He’s not going to be crossing the ocean and we don’t need to take time to cover it!”

“It’s 30 seconds Will, and each show will put in a plug.”

Will noticed that Mac had entered so he turned to her. “Mac will back me up. We do hard news on our show, we’re not going to cover Santa’s trip on Christmas Eve.”

“Grow a heart, Will, we can give Santa a shout out at the end of the show.”

Will demonstratively acted stunned to hear those words come out of his EP’s mouth. Charlie sent her a more questioning look. 

“What the hell are you talking about? Aren’t you the one that fights for the sanctity of the news or whatever the fuck?”

“I have my nephews here too and they would love to see updates on Santa’s passage.”

Will didn’t know who to look at, neither seemed to agree with him and that didn’t seem right. Finally he settled on Charlie. “Look, my numbers go down when –“

“Oh God, not this again,” Mac interrupted.

“I’m not doing news. That’s what people expect.”

Mac got into his face. “Are you seeing Reese behind our backs again? Who the fuck cares about your God damned ratings? That’s all I’ve fucking heard about this month.”

Will looked down. “It’s not Reese.”

“Then who the fuck is it?”

“It doesn’t matter, Mac.” Charlie recognized the guilty look on Will’s face. This could only mean one thing; luckily, he didn’t think Mac saw it.

“It matters when she’s messing with my show. Who are you seeing, Will?”

Charlie raised his eyebrows in surprise that she saw what he saw. But Mac did actually know Will better. 

“Who is she?”

“It’s Nina, ok. We’ve gone out a few times since I talked her about the September 11 Anniversary.” A little quieter he added, “It’s nothing serious.”

Mac looked at him dead in the eye. “Well I guess that’s one way to keep your name out of the tabloids. We’re putting up the graphic end of the broadcast.”

Will watched her storm out of his office and chased after her. “I’m the managing editor and we aren’t.” Will returned to his office and shook his head. “You know, she’s only taking your side because –“

“You’ve been acting like an asshole?”

Will finally felt defeated and collapsed back in his chair. “I don’t set out to do this Charlie, it just kind of happens. I’ve tried to keep this from her. I didn’t want to hurt her.”

Charlie looked at Will with compassion. “Have you ever heard the story about the little boy who keeps shredding paper?” Will shook his head. “Well, his parents kept taking him to doctors and he screamed and cried every time he had to go and then one of the doctors told the little boy, if he stops shredding paper, his parents will stop taking him to doctors.”

Will started massaging his temples. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

“That’s a story that can mean a lot things. Think about it. I need another bourbon. And you need your heart to grow three sizes before you’re visited by Dickensian ghosts.”

“I think you’re getting your Christmas stories confused. The Grinch’s heart grew and Scrooge had visits from the ghosts.”

Charlie poured himself a drink and turned to his friend. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

“Grinches and Ghosts.” That didn’t even make sense to him. “I have no fucking idea. But I’m not covering Santa.”

As Charlie left, he yelled over his shoulder, “Bah humbug”. 

*** *** *** 

Will sat on his couch and watched TV. He started dozing off as A Christmas Carol came on. He put his feet on the couch and put the throw over himself for a short nap. 

He looked around and recognized the University of Nebraska campus. What the fuck was he doing here? He immediately felt a tightening in his check. Did he have to get back to the farm at the end of the week to help with some chores? He hated doing that, but that’s how he made sure that no one had to pay for his father’s complaining about his tuition. He saw that the university was decorated for Christmas. Bah humbug indeed, that just meant that he had to go home for a month. He looked around hoping to find evidence that this was a dream. All of a sudden, Sarah, his college girlfriend appeared next to him. He made the mental note, it is a dream and this is senior year. 

“Are you here to remind me of my previous life, how much I loved you before I let you go or some shit like that?”

Sarah laughed. “I hope not. All I’d be able to show you is the kind of asshole you’ve been your whole life.”

"Then why are you here?"

Sarah shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know, it’s your dream. You don’t think you loved me or anything do you?”

Will shook his head. “Nope, nothing like that. Charlie mentioned being visited by Scrooge’s ghosts and I’m watching the movie, so I may have conjured you up for that.”

“That makes sense.”

Will looked around and then back at his former girlfriend. “So, we done here?”

She shrugged her shoulders. “Sure.”

Will woke up and made his way to his bed. He started laughing before he fell asleep.

*** *** ***

Will got out of bed, well actually, it felt more like he floated out of bed. He arrived in his living room and found Nina lying naked on his couch. He immediately screamed. 

“There you are. I wasn’t sure if you were ever going to get here so I made myself comfortable.”

“Why are you here?”

“It’s your dream, I have no idea what’s going on in your head.”

Will felt a little better. This is a dream; she’s not really here, she’s just part of this insane whatever it is. “So Sarah didn’t know what she was supposed to show me, what are you supposed to show me?”

“Will, Will, Will. When this happened to Scrooge he was keeping Christmas from his underling’s family and he learned generosity. You fought to not mention Santa on a newscast. And ended up doing it anyway. Personally I agreed with you.”

“At least someone did. Hey is that why you’re here? To let me know that I’m right?”

Nina shot him a disbelieving look and Will grabbed the throw to put over her. “Honey, no one thinks you’re right. Give Santa the fucking 30 seconds, you’re script was light already and who the fuck watches the news on Christmas Eve?”

“But I thought you agreed with me!”

Nina shrugged her shoulders and disappeared. 

Will woke up in a cold sweat. He got out of bed and drank a glass of water before returning. He thought about calling Mac, he was sure she would be his visitor from the future and his subconscious was probably going to tell him to apologize. He looked at his phone and almost called, but decided against it. She mentioned having family over, he should do this in person. But he knew if he waited he wouldn’t do it when he saw her next. He didn’t want to call this late with people at her house, so he decided to go back to sleep. 

*** *** *** 

Will looked around at what he could only guess was a mid century colonial in the suburbs. Ah fuck, he moves out of the city? Okay, if this is dream of what he thinks his future holds, he has to assume that Mac is somewhere. Maybe she has something less inane for him than the others. She does make more sense than anyone he’s ever known. Usually. 

“Mac? Mac? Where are you? I’d like to just get this over with if you don’t mind.”

Will felt something pull on his hand. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

Will looked around until he found a miniature Mac that came up to about his knee. He gave another small scream. “Oh my God! Are you my child? Did we have a baby?”

“No, I’m a miniature Mac. You’re in a dream Will, we’re all going to look different.”

“Oh. Well, can you become big Mac, I’m not sure how to look at you.”

“It’s your dream Will, but I still refuse to make the McDonalds pun. And it’s not just because I want to disagree with everything you say. Though that is part of it.”

Will concentrated and she got to be normal size. “Thank you.” She shrugged her shoulders. 

“So what am I doing here? I know that you’ve been with Nina and Sarah tonight, so I’m not the only woman of your dreams. And yes, you have wanted to make that pun all night. And it is really horrible. ”

“Mac, none of the ghosts have had any lessons for me. What am I trying to learn?”

Mac looked at him disbelieving. “Nothing, Will. You were watching a movie and this is the dream that resulted from it. It’s not a fortune cookie.”

“You know I do think –”

“Will, I am you! I know exactly what you think. Do you know who doesn’t? The real me! And she doesn’t give a fuck about Santa. She wants the mid century colonial. And you want the mini Mac for a daughter.”

“So I should go talk to her.”

Mac looked at him. “Well duh!”

Will woke up and tried to figure out what to say. He tossed and turned the rest of night and in the late morning finally decided to go to Mac’s place. When he knocked on her door, he heard a lot of activity. She opened the door and looked at him surprised. 

“Will?”

“Uh, yeah. Can… Will… I need to talk to you a second.”

From behind her, Will heard a female voice, “William? Is that you?” Mildred McHale came over to Will as fast, as her 72-year-old legs would take her and gave him a big hug. “Well isn’t this a wonderful surprise. Mackenzie, you didn’t tell me that William was coming over. You know you are the most charming of the men she has brought home.”

“Mother!”

“Okay there weren’t that many, but you were much better than that Brian chap. What ever happened to him?” Mildred thought for a second and the shook her head. “Oh, I probably shouldn’t bring him up, should I? But that just makes you coming over for Christmas dinner that much more exciting.”

Will still had an arm around Mildred and laughed. “Actually, I just came here to talk to Mac for a minute.”

“Is that for business or is that code for making out or more with her?”

Will gave her a squeeze. “I have missed you Mildred.”

The older woman looked up at Will adoringly. “I have too. But you haven’t answered my question. And I want to grandchildren with your face. You go out here and talk to my daughter and I’ll set a place for you at the table. Dean will love to see you too. He’s been practicing the arguments against all your Republican candidates.” Mildred turned to Mac and gave her a slight smack on the bottom. “Well, go out in the hall with your boyfriend.”

“He’s not my boyfriend mom.”

“Well, he’s a boy and he’s friend.”

Mac rolled her eyes. “He’s barely that.”

“Well, whatever dear. Go talk to him, he came a long way to see you.”

“No he didn’t. He barely has to take a cab over here.” Mac finally got out of her apartment and closed the door. She motioned him to walk down the hall a little so they won’t be heard. 

“How did you get in here?”

“One of your neighbors let someone else in and I followed him.” Will started to take her hand and then didn’t. She rolled her eyes. “It’s not serious with Nina and it’s not going to be. Ever.”

“Isn’t that something you should tell her?”

“No, it’s something I should tell you. I’m only dating her because I want you.”

Mac opened and closed her mouth a few times before she could get anything out. “Will, are you feeling okay? Because that is the most fucked up thing I’ve ever heard.”

"Well, you knew that the first time you dated me." Will looked over to Mac as she smiled and acknowledged the truth. He has always been at least a little fucked up. And she loved him for it. "Mac, I keep thinking if I can just get over you, move on, then I can get back with you.”

“What the fuck are you talking about.”

Will began to get frustrated. He wasn’t saying this right. He tried to take her hand again, but he couldn’t. “Mac… Mac, I never fell out of love with you, but when I let myself think about trying to start something with you again, I look at you and I see the back of his head.”

“Lovely.”

“Come on Mac, I’m trying to say something real here. I want to find a way that I don’t go and do things that end up hurting you because… you know. So I thought if I could move on, if I can convince myself that I’ve moved on, that I can be a good boyfriend to someone else, then when we inevitably break up, because we will.”

“That’s what inevitably means, that something will definitely happen.”

Will shot her a look. “I will break up with Nina, I don’t like her. And I covered her up in my dream and I’m not sure why.”

“You’re losing me again.”

“Mac, I love you and I want to figure out how to stop hurting you. And I thought I did well by not letting you know that I was with her.”

Mac looked down, a little sad, “Until you did.”

“I didn’t mean to. God, Mac, I didn’t mean to. I didn’t want to hurt you this time. I don’t ever intend to hurt you. I just start thinking that maybe… and then… I do something stupid. And I’m sorry Mac. My time with you was the best time in my life. And I want to have that again. I just have to figure out how.”

Will gave her a look of expectation, though if he thought about it, he wasn’t sure what he expected. Finally she said, “So you’re fucking the tabloid reporter who went after both of us because you’re in love with me? I don’t think love means what you think it means.”

“Dr. Habib said something like that.” God, if he could just taker her hand or squeeze her arm. He’s tried, but something just stops him. He wants that physical connection with her. Finally, he gave up. “I’m sorry Mac. I want to be the man who won’t hurt you anymore.” Will put his head and started to walk out. 

“Will?” He turned around, “why don’t you stay and have dinner with us? Mom always has a few extra gifts for the strays she or dad bring home. You can be my stray.”

“I shouldn’t. I need to go.”

“And see Nina?”

Will shook his head. “No, it’s not serious. I promise, it won’t be.”

“Will, no one should be alone on Christmas. No matter what else we are, we’re friends. Stay here and celebrate with us. Mom and dad will love to see you and maybe if you get to see what life with me is like, it will help you do whatever the fuck you’re doing.”

“Okay. Okay. I’ll come for dinner and remember what it’s like just being with you.”

Will tried to take her hand, but he couldn’t. Finally she took his and walked him back to the apartment. He didn’t take his hand away. It was a small step, and one that gave them both a sliver of hope. Will laughed and enjoyed his time with the McHale family, sharing looks and smiles with Mac. He will find a way to make this part of his life. He doesn’t know how, but this is the life he wants.


End file.
